When the first trailer for Pixels hit I was worried that the movie was going to be a "steaming pile of cinematic garbage." Now that I've actually seen the Adam Sandler and Kevin James vehicle, I can say that was still far too generous a prediction; it's actually much, much worse. Pixels' real villains aren't the admittedly gorgeous renderings of giant-sized Pac-Man and Donkey Kong hell-bent on destroying Earth -- they're the toxic tropes that Hollywood keeps perpetuating.

Take a mind journey with us: You step off of an international flight and walk to the baggage claim areas in Sweden's Stockholm Arlanda Airport or Göteborg Landvetter Airport. You're tired, you're waiting for your luggage, and you have a pocketful of foreign coins. Usually, you'd drop them off in the Red Cross donation box, which takes any type of currency, and you'd continue standing, waiting. Now, the Swedish Red Cross and Swedavia Swedish Airports have turned those donation boxes into classic arcade cabinets -- drop in any currency from any country and start playing Pac-Man, Galaga or Space Invaders before grabbing your bags. It's better than letting those coins collect dust, and classic video games have been scientifically proven* to help travelers shake off that "I've been sitting for 18 hours" look.

Given the subject matter, this is usually where the author waxes philosophical about whether -- having been accepted by a major international museum -- games are indeed "art." We're gonna skip that needless exercise today and simply tell you that the New York City Museum of Modern Art is officiating its intake of 14 video game classics as the start of an ongoing gaming collection, set to go on display in March 2013 in the MoMA's Philip Johnson Architecture and Design Galleries -- the same galleries that house an original iPod and more. The games range from Buckner & Garcia inspirationPac-Man to modern classic Portal, and even includes some lesser known gems (vib-ribbon, anyone?). The MoMA blog calls this initial selection just the "seedbed" for a chunkier collection of around 40 titles, all of which will be part of a "new category of artworks" at the iconic museum. Head below for the full first 14.

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Fri, 30 Nov 2012 03:17:00 -050021|20391203http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/14/ai-competition-pits-ms-pac-man-against-ghosts-in-the-manichean/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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While the world breathlessly awaits the Pac-Man reality TV show, the University of Essex held a programming competition starring that other yellow chomper. The Ms. Pac-Man vs. Ghost Team contest pitted 13 competitors from nine different countries against one another, to see who could create the most elusive Ms. Pac-Man or the wiliest ghost gang. The participants coded routines for the titular hero or Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Sue, with organizers then running the programs against one another on the Java-based playing field. The highest single-game score went to Atif, who racked up 69240 points versus DarkRodry's ghosts, while ghost team Legacy2TheReckoning held RandomMsPacMan to a mere 410 points. Another competition will take place in August, so limber up your coding fingers, Pac-Maniacs. In the meantime, strap on your headgear and cheer on your round yellow hero in the video below.

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Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:20:00 -040021|19966924http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/16/the-worlds-biggest-pac-man-game-takes-over-the-internet-your-l/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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It's officially the weekend, which means you've got two choices: one, mimic iTr3vor and toss up a YouTube video of yourself dancing in an Apple Store, or two, blow your own mind with the magic of HTML5. In between hour-long Pica-Pic sessions, we'd recommend killing time in The World's Biggest Pac-Man game, which can be "played for fun" or linked to your Facebook account for those who savvy statistics. We'd bother telling you more, but we're fairly sure you're already firmly occupied with the source link. You're welcome. Or, we're sorry.

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Sat, 16 Apr 2011 02:23:00 -040021|19914936http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/pac-machina-displays-a-a-trivial-love-of-the-needlessly-complex/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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Now, you may look at this little project and ask yourself, "what is the point of this thing?" but that would, in fact, be the wrong question. The Pac Man-loving creator of Pac Machina needs no reasons, and honestly, neither do we. While we wouldn't necessarily want one of these clock-like Pac Men in our drawing room, we admire the creativity and time put into what was surely a somewhat tedious project. We are huge fans of tedium, after all. Video is after the break.

Not since Hollywood Reporter told us about a possible Asteroids bio-pic have we been excited about a film or TV show: Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Merv Griffin Entertainment has hammered out a deal with Namco Bandai to develop a reality TV show based on Pac-Man. Envisioned by Merv Griffin Entertainment's president of TV Roy Bank as something "big" and "crazy" like Wipeout or Fear Factor, the company wants "to take what Pac-Man is and bring it to life, to bring what is essentially the world's biggest game of tag to television." If this doesn't sound like the definition of a mid-season replacement, we don't know what is.

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Mon, 17 Jan 2011 16:23:00 -050021|19804027http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/12/microscopic-pac-man-installation-makes-a-play-for-the-smallest-p/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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"Cute" doesn't even begin to accurately describe it. Kotoro "dotimpact" Tanaka, a Japanese design professor, has been credited with designing what may actually be the world's smallest game of Pac-Man. The microscopic installation was recently showcased at the 30th anniversary Pac-Man exhibition, utilizing original Pac-Man hardware, a projector and a microscope in order to blow up a minuscule game of cat and ghost for human eyes to recognize. We're told that it's able to reflect its image through a mirror in order to produce a 1cm square image at a resolution of 1439 pixels per inch (PPI), and users are highly encouraged to screw with the zoom and focus controls in order to heighten the level of difficulty. So, dotimpact... how's about an on sale date?

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Tue, 12 Oct 2010 03:20:00 -040021|19668876http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/12/pac-man-reenacted-by-humans-in-stop-motion-masterpiece/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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What's it with Pac-Man and awesomeness these days? First Google, now this? As the story goes, PAC-MAN is the fifth video performance of the GAME OVER Project, put on by the French-Swiss artist Guillaume Reymond. The video -- which is embedded after the break -- shows a great many human bodies (111 to be exact) working together for over four hours in one of the most smile-inducing stop motion clips we've ever seen. Oh, and make sure your volume's up -- the experience just isn't complete without man made blips and bloops.

Sure, you've played countless hours of Pac-Man and seen the game spawn endless products (official and otherwise), but have you ever taken the time to really think about Pac-Man? Jamey Pittman has -- a lot -- and the end result is The Pac-Man Dossier, which Pittman describes as "most complete and detailed study of the game." While the dossier has been around for a while, we feel we'd be remiss if we didn't do our part to help bring the scholarly work to a wider audience -- after all, where else can you not only learn about tricks like the ghost pass-through and secret 256th level, but literally have the game broken down pixel by pixel? Trust us, you'll never look at Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde the same way again.

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Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:01:00 -040021|19604899http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/20/sequoia-e-voting-machine-hacked-to-play-pac-man-video/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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Oh Sequoia, why are you so changeable? The thoroughly hacked electronic voting machine is back with another ignoble showing, courtesy of researchers from the universities of Michigan and, of course, Princeton. Picking up an AVC-Edge box that had seen live duty in collecting votes for the 2008 Virginia primaries, they quickly and all too easily managed to supplant the embedded psOS+ software with DOS, which was promptly followed by the installation of Pac-Man. Given that the underlying circuit boards were populated with such luminaries as a 486 processor and 32 megabytes of RAM, we find this a most appropriate match of hardware and software. As to that whole voting security thing, maybe next time we should let people do it with their BlackBerrys, eh? See the Pac do his thing on video after the break.

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Fri, 20 Aug 2010 03:41:00 -040021|19601391http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/06/pac-man-ios-4-wallpaper-just-a-video-feature-away-from-perfect/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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We won't say that this is on the same level as Google's own playable Pac-Man graphic, but it's darn close. Designed to fit onto the iPhone 4's Retina Display, this Pac-Man PNG wallpaper lines up exactly to give you a glimpse of retro on each and every home pane. The only problem? There's no motion in the background, which leaves Sir Pac physically incapable of chowing down on any extra dots. Android users: this is where you stifle your evil grin and pretend that you're sympathetic.

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Fri, 21 May 2010 11:57:00 -040021|19486785http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/12/speakal-iboo-when-ipod-docks-and-pac-man-ghosts-collide/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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You know, that's totally a recreation of Oikake up there holding that iPod, wouldn't you agree? In the spirit of Pac-man, Speakal has delivered the iBoo sound station, an iPod-friendly device that's cute enough for your kids and retro enough for you. For the low, low price of just $89.99, you too can join in the fun by grabbing one in red, blue or white. Specs wise, the device features an obligatory iPod dock, a 3.5 millimeter auxiliary input, touch volume control and music navigation, 15 watts of total power and a mini remote for controlling things from afar. Don't deny it, you're in love.

Console modder Sam Thornley actually built this Pac-Man Mini handheld way back in 2007, but he only recently shared it with the members of Ben Heck's forums, and we're sure glad he did. There's nothing too special at the heart of this one, just a Jakks Pacific Namco Arcade Classic system, but Sam hit all the right marks with the little details, from the red buttons that are just itching to be pressed to the old school flip switch to the bigger-than-it-has-to-be casing. If you think you're up to the task of building your own, you can find all the details you need an plenty of pics to guide you on your way by hitting up the read link below.

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Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:38:00 -040021|1298150http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/31/sony-begins-accepting-playstation-home-beta-applications/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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After a long long delay from that March 2007 announcement, Sony Japan just opened its doors to applications for the closed beta testing of PlayStation Home. Sony expects to drop 10,000 gamers (18 years old and up) into the virtual world when it launches in beta sometime in late August. Closed beta tests are due in other markets (er hem, the US) at about the same time with an open beta coming sometime later in the year. Lucky beta testers will be able to explore the 3D world and play games like PacMan in the Namco Museum, both of which are pictured after the break.

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Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:51:00 -040021|1271614http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/pac-man-roomba-created-with-448-leds/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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We were beginning to wonder if the Roomba hacking community had been sucked dry of ideas, but leave it to longjie0723 to give us hope yet. This Roomba hacker (yeah, he also rigged his up for Wiimote control) managed to solder 448 yellow LEDs onto a board and program said devices to move in such a way that a Pac-Man-type image is seen. C'mon, who hasn't dreamed of having that ghost-inhaler work his magic on those forsaken floors? Check the video after the jump.

Those intrigued by the idea of interlocking light blocks but disappointed by the subtlety of some of the current options available may want to take note of Remake Design's latest creation, which takes the idea to excessive new heights. As you can see, they've churned out a series of blocks to let you relive your past Pac-Man adventures on a grand scale, including blocks of dots, ghosts, and Pac-Man himself -- no power-ups though, it seems. No word on a price just yet, but given that the firm's standard set of four solid-colored lights costs $300, you'll likely have to part with a sizable stash of quarters if you want to add this particular retro touch to your living room

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Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:53:00 -050021|1103194http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/06/the-pac-man-christmas-tree/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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Finally, Blinky, Pinky, Inky, Clyde, and even old Pacster get some religious iconography happening for themselves. A creative group of X-mas-and-Pac-Man-loving cats and kittens in Madrid have created a truly festive monument to the holiday... and the video game. Check the video after the break for the whole, utility-burning display in action -- and commenters, feel free to translate.

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Thu, 06 Dec 2007 06:31:00 -050021|1056151http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/20/diyer-stuffs-mame-machine-into-dinner-table/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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Hot on the heels of Gamerator's stupendous MAME cabinet and AOTS "world's largest arcade machine" comes a DIY project that gives both of the aforementioned products a run for their money. The aptly-titled IKEA MAME Dinner Table cleverly crams a MAME machine into a standard dinner table, which we're absolutely sure any warm-blooded mother (and / or gamer) could appreciate. The table can slide open to reveal a 15-inch LCD, Happ Controls and an Ultimarc I-PAC, and while a myriad games can be played, the creator's personal favorite is the famed Ms. Pacman. Click on for a couple more looks, and then head on to the read link for a slew of pics from the underside.

Researchers at University College London look to have taken a slightly unconventional approach in their studies on fear, with the BBC reporting that they've crafted a "Pac-Man-like" game that boasts the added risk of electric shock. Apparently, volunteers play the game while an MRI scanner monitors them, moving a blue triangle through a 2D maze while trying to avoid a red dot "predator." If that dot catches them, they receive an electric shock. As that danger neared , the researchers found that players stopped using their their prefrontal cortex in their forebrain and instead relied on their midbrain area, which controls "gut-level reflexes." At least that's what they're saying. We have a sneaking suspicion it may all just be an elaborate trick the researchers play on freshman students.

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Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:35:00 -040021|973383http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/26/plush-pac-man-headgear-munches-on-ghosts/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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We've seen some pretty off-kilter headwear in our day, but this plush Pac-Man helmet apparatus is begging for a top slot. This uber-retro head hides no secret in-ear headphones, Bluetooth chip, or whispering voice that alerts you of colored ghosts approaching from the rear, but you're sure to be the life of the party if you roll up with this on your noggin. Reportedly, this spectacular blast from the not-too-distant past is available in both child and adult sizes, but considering that quantities "are limited," we'd suggest coughing up that $29.99 real quick like if this just skyrocketed to the top of your must-have list.

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Thu, 26 Jul 2007 07:32:00 -040021|949308http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/09/novotable-offers-ergonomically-questionable-pc-and-console-gamin/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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We're pretty sure you don't see many tabletop
arcade games around anymore for a reason -- mainly, it's not very comfortable to hunch over a screen for more than few
minutes. Luckily for us, our poor PacMan and Centipede skills (and perpetual lack of quarters) made this mostly a
non-issue in our arcade-trolling days, but now a new product called the "Novo Infotainment Table" (or
Novotable for short) is offering to bring spine-curving videogame action for yesterday's hits and today's PC and
console titles right to our homes. The Novotable is basically a 32-inch LCD mounted horizontally onto an articulating
stand, attached to a pair of arcade joysticks, and stuffed with a subwoofer, Shuttle PC, and your choice of PS2 or Xbox. You also get a a stainless
steel keyboard to swap out the controllers in case you want to use your multi-thousand dollar device (actual price:
unknown, but presumed high) for something other than playing the biggest pixelated hits of the 80's, plus the usual
lineup of PC features that you'd expect to find on a Shuttle, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, and FireWire and USB ports. We
could see installing a few of these in a bar for some drunken Rampage fun, but the Mansion gameroom only accepts
original pinball and arcade cabinets, so no Novotable for us, thanks.